Capturing teachers' experience of learning design through case studies

This article distinguishes three dimensions to learning design: a technological infrastructure, a conceptual framework for practice that focuses on the creation of structured sequences of learning activities, and a way to represent and share practice through the use of mediating artefacts. Focusing initially on the second of these dimensions, the article reports the key findings from an exploratory study, eLIDA CAMEL. This project examined a hitherto under-researched aspect of learning design: what teachers who are new to the domain perceive to be its value as a framework for practice in the design of both flexible and classroom-based learning. Data collection comprised 13 case studies constructed from participants' self-reports. These suggest that providing students with a structured sequence of learning activities was the major value to teachers. The article additionally discusses the potential of such case studies to function as mediating artefacts for practitioners who are considering experimenting with learning design.

Learning design contingent valuation (LDCV): NOAA guidelines, preference learning and coherent arbitrariness

We extend the contingent valuation (CV) method to test three differing conceptions of individuals' preferences as either (i) a-priori well-formed or readily divined and revealed through a single dichotomous choice question (as per the NOAA CV guidelines [K. Arrow, R. Solow, P.R. Portney, E.E. Learner, R. Radner, H. Schuman, Report of the NOAA panel on contingent valuation, Fed. Reg. 58 (1993) 4601-4614]); (ii) learned or 'discovered' through a process of repetition and experience [J.A. List, Does market experience eliminate market anomalies? Q. J. Econ. (2003) 41-72; C.R. Plott, Rational individual behaviour in markets and social choice processes: the discovered preference hypothesis, in: K. Arrow, E. Colombatto, M. Perleman, C. Schmidt (Eds.), Rational Foundations of Economic Behaviour, Macmillan, London, St. Martin's, New York, 1996, pp. 225-250]; (iii) internally coherent but strongly influenced by some initial arbitrary anchor [D. Ariely, G. Loewenstein, D. Prelec, 'Coherent arbitrariness': stable demand curves without stable preferences, Q. J. Econ. 118(l) (2003) 73-105]. Findings reject both the first and last of these conceptions in favour of a model in which preferences converge towards standard expectations through a process of repetition and learning. In doing so, we show that such a 'learning design CV method overturns the 'stylised facts' of bias and anchoring within the double bound dichotomous choice elicitation format. (C) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Testing preference formation in learning design contingent valuation (LDCV) using advanced information and repetitive treatments

Policymakers have largely replaced Single Bounded Discrete Choice (SBDC) valuation by the more statistically efficient repetitive methods; Double Bounded Discrete Choice (DBDC) and Discrete Choice Experiments (DCE) . Repetitive valuation permits classification into rational preferences: (i) a priori well-formed; (ii) consistent non-arbitrary values “discovered” through repetition and experience; (Plott, 1996; List 2003) and irrational preferences; (iii) consistent but arbitrary values as “shaped” by preceding bid level (Tufano, 2010; Ariely et al., 2003) and (iv) inconsistent and arbitrary values. Policy valuations should demonstrate behaviorally rational preferences. We outline novel methods for testing this in DBDC applied to renewable energy premiums in Chile.

Extensión de la especificación IMS Learning Design desde la adaptación e integración de unidades de aprendizaje. `Extension of the IMS Learnin Design specification based on adaptation and integration of units of learning´.

La tesis se centra en el aprendizaje personalizado y en la integración de Unidades de Aprendizaje. El objetivo fundamental es mejorar la expresividad pedagógica de IMS-LD, refinando estructuras de modelado y arquitectura existentes y desarrollando estructuras complementarias que permitan una formalización más precisa, versátil y sencilla de procesos de aprendizaje adaptativo y de mecanismos y procesos de integración con sistemas de aprendizaje y otras especificaciones. En esta tesis se estudia la especificación desde la base, analizando su modelo de información y cómo se construyen Unidades de Aprendizaje. Se analiza la estructura de la especificación, basándose en un estudio teórico y una investigación práctica fruto del modelado de Unidades de Aprendizaje reales y ejecutables que proporcionan una información útil de base. A partir de este estudio, se analiza la integración de Unidades de Aprendizaje con otros sistemas y especificaciones, abarcando desde la integración mínima mediante un enlace directo hasta compartir variables y estados que permiten una comunicación en tiempo real de ambas partes. La conclusión es que IMS-LD necesita una reestructuración y modificación de ciertos elementos, así como la incorporación de otros nuevos, para mejorar una expresividad pedagógica y una capacidad de integración con otros sistemas de aprendizaje y estándares eLearning, si se pretenden alcanzar: la personalización del proceso de aprendizaje y la interoperabilidad real. La implantación de la especificación se vería mejorada si existieran unas herramientas de más alto nivel, preferiblemente con planteamiento visual, que permitieran un modelado sencillo por parte de los usuarios finales reales de este tipo de especificaciones, como son los profesores, los creadores de contenido y los pedagogos-didactas que diseñan la experiencia de aprendizaje.

Teaching and learning design and technology : a guide to recent research and its applications.

Este manual presenta un resumen de algunas de las investigaciones más importantes en diseño y tecnología de la última década. Los resultados están relacionados con la enseñanza y el aprendizaje de la tecnología y el diseño en el aula. La investigación es relevante desde el nivel de la enseñanza primaria, secundaria y formación profesional. Abarca la enseñanza de estas materias como un tema separado o como integrado con otras áreas del currículo. Discute el desarrollo de libros de texto, el desarrollo curricular, la organización departamental, el aprendizaje de los niños, y el criterio de evaluación.

Comunidades virtuales, grupos y proyectos de investigación sobre IMS Learning Design : status quo, factores clave y retos inmediatos.

Resumen tomado de la publicación

Adaptación de material educativo guiada por IMS Learning Design : experiencias con .LRN.

Monográfico con el título: 'Adaptación y accesibilidad de las tecnologías para el aprendizaje'. Resumen basado en el de la publicación

La Aportación de IMS Learning Design a la creación de recursos pedagógicos reutilizables.

El artículo está incluido en un número monográfico especial con los trabajos del I Simposio Pluridisciplinar sobre Diseño, Evaluación y Descripción de Contenidos Educativos Reutilizables (Guadalajara, Octubre 2004).Resumen basado en el de la publicación

Teaching in context : some implications for e-learning design

One of the major advantages of e-learning technologies is the expanded opportunities that they offer for when and where learning takes place. Until recently, little attention has been given to the implications that variation in the learner’s context creates for e-learning design. The context of learning with technologies is often considered quite narrowly, sometimes at the level of specific learning transactions, with limited acknowledgement of whether learners will be engaging with them on-campus, off-campus, across national boundaries or in some other contexts. While there are limitations to teachers’ control of contextual variation, their knowledge of the student cohorts to whom a particular unit of study will be offered provides some clear implications for choices to be made in relation to e-learning design. This paper illustrates these choices through the use of examples from e-learning showcase sites at two institutions. The examples are analysed within a selected theoretical framework to provide preliminary guidelines for accommodating contextual variation in elearning.

Professional education using e-simulations : benefits of blended learning design

The use of digital, Web-based simulations for education and training in the workplace is a significant, emerging innovation requiring immediate attention. A convergence of new educational needs, theories of learning, and role-based simulation technologies points to educators’ readiness for e-simulations. As modern e-simulations aim at integration into blended learning environments, they promote rich experiential, constructivist learning.

Professional Education Using E-Simulations: Benefits of Blended Learning Design contains a broad range of theoretical perspectives on, and practical illustrations of, the field of e-simulations for educating the professions in blended learning environments. Readers will see authors articulate various views on the nature of professions and professionalism, the nature and roles that various types of e-simulations play in contributing to developing an array of professional capabilities, and various viewpoints on how e-simulations as an integral component of blended learning environments can be conceived, enacted, evaluated, and researched.

Graduating Students' Perceptions of Learning Design in an Undergraduate Engineering Course

BACKGROUNDUndergraduate Civil Engineering Course at Deakin University, Australia is relatively a new course. It graduated its second main cohort in 2013. Since its beginning in 2012, this study has been running an internal annual Course Experience Surveys targeted at uncovering the graduating students’ perceptions on three components of contemporary learning system provided by Deakin University learning design, learning environment and the human factor. Learning design covers the learning curriculum, learning resources, learning activities and learning supports; learning environment includes physical environment, virtual environment and psychosocial environment; and human factor includes learners, facilitators/teachers and help/support staff and their culture. There is a common agreement among educators in higher education that these three components of learning system should interact and complement each other in order to maximise student learning. This paper coversonly learning design aspect of the overall surveys from 2012 and 2013.PURPOSEThe aim of this study is to analyse the students’ perceptions of learning design provided by Deakin University to its undergraduate civil engineering students in 2012 and 2013. This will help track down the progresses in different aspects of learning design and to understand whether the learning design provided by the institution have actually helped students in their learning and met their learning expectations.DESIGN/METHODThis study adopts questionnaire approach to collect original data by asking students about their perceptions of learning design provided by the institution. 5-point Likert-scale questionnaire survey (strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree, strongly agree) is developed and responses are collected. The responses are then statistically analysed in order to uncover the students’ perceptions of learning design provided by the university.RESULTSThe statistical analysis shows that the graduating students in both 2012 and 2013 did not perceive some important aspects of the learning design of the undergraduate civil engineering program/course as good as they expected. Moreover, in line with the shift in the learning design paradigm from content-centric to more inclusive learning design where soft skills, self-directed learning skills and research skills are incorporated, graduating students clearly perceived these changes. However, respondents’ perceptions on some components of learning design got slightly down in 2013 compared with 2012 particularly the ‘learning resources’, ‘learning activities’ and ‘learning supports’.CONCLUSIONSThe shift in the learning design paradigm of the undergraduate civil engineering program/course at Deakin University from teacher-centric to student-centric between 2012 and 2013 has not been perceived by students positively as expected. Students have clearly indicated that they prefer improved curriculum, quality learning resources, customised learning activities and additional learning supports in order to successfully implement student-centric learning design.